The present invention relates generally to vehicle door handles and, more particularly, to a vehicle door handle which provides a snap-together process for assembling the pivotable door handle to a base of the handle assembly at the vehicle.
A door handle for a vehicle typically comprises a pivotable handle portion and a base portion mounted at the vehicle, whereby the handle portion is pivotable to open the door from the outside of the vehicle. Typically, the pivotable handle is connected to a latch release mechanism within the door to allow the door to open where the handle is operated. Certain prior known handle portions include a pair of mounting arms which extend through the base portion and pivotably secure to the base. The arms are pivotably secured together via a metal hinge pin which extends through the arms and base. The door handle assembly further includes a spring at the hinge pin for biasing the handle in its closed position. The hinge pin must be manually inserted through openings in the arms when the openings are aligned. This is a manual process which is complicated and inefficient since an operator at the assembly plant has to properly align the openings before the hinge pin can be inserted therethrough. Furthermore, the pin is crimped to prevent accidental removal of the pin from the openings after the pin has been inserted therethrough. This is an additional process which further complicates and adds to the time of the process.
Some handles have been proposed which eliminate the need for a hinge pin by providing a pair of outward projections on the arms of the handle which are pivotably retained within slots or openings in corresponding arms of the base. An example of such a handle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,163 issued to Tamaki. The outward projections thus function similar to the hinge pin of the conventional handles. While this eliminates the crimping process of the pin, such a handle still requires the projections to be aligned with the openings in the arms of the base before they may be retained therein.
During winter or other cold weather conditions, such as during rain storms and the like, a vehicle door handle, which is typically formed from a metal or rigid plastic material, may become slippery and cold and thus difficult and uncomfortable to grasp. This often results in a person's hand slipping from the handle as the person attempts to open the door of the vehicle. Additionally, the hard materials are cold to touch, which further adds to the person's discomfort when opening the door of their vehicle. An additional concern with conventional handles is that they are difficult to unlock and/or open in low light conditions.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a vehicular door handle and base assembly which may be pivotably secured together without requiring precise alignment of pins or openings during the assembly process. Preferably, the handle also improves the comfort and ease of use by a person opening the door of the vehicle.